CNC Employee Awards

Tony Farr is the recipient of the 2026 President’s Award for Service Excellence in recognition of his outstanding dedication, professionalism, and people-centered approach to service at CNC. As a Maintenance/Grounds Person in Facilities Services, Tony plays a vital role in keeping campus operations running smoothly. Though much of his work happens behind the scenes, his impact is felt across the entire College community. 

Whether helping to reconfigure a space, sourcing materials, or solving unexpected challenges, Tony approaches each task with care, attention to detail, and a willingness to help. Colleagues know they can count on him not only for high-quality work, but also for his approachable nature, good humour, and commitment to seeing projects through to completion. 

Tony’s work has a direct impact on the day-to-day experience of students, faculty, and staff across CNC. Through his responsiveness, problem-solving abilities, and attention to detail, he helps create spaces that allow teaching, learning, and campus activities to run smoothly and effectively. His steady presence and commitment to quality service make him a valued and trusted member of the College community. 

As his nominator puts it, “Tony Farr exemplifies excellence in service through his consistent, positive, and proactive contributions to the College community. His work goes far beyond the core expectations of his role in Facilities Services; Tony approaches each request with care, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to creating supportive, functional, and welcoming environments for staff and students alike.”

Through her work as Curriculum Developer in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, Deb Nielsen is the recipient of the 2026 Service Achievement Award. Supporting faculty, staff, and administrators, her student-centered contributions have strengthened academic quality, expanded access, and enhanced institutional effectiveness at CNC. 

Deeply engaged in the inner workings of the College, Deb has provided leadership and sustained involvement in the Integrated Curriculum Committee (ICC) and Education Council (EdCo) processes, helping ensure high-quality, well-aligned curriculum across programs. She has also championed open education initiatives that improve affordability and access for students, while supporting faculty through workshops, training, and collaborative curriculum development. 

Beyond CNC, Deb is actively involved in the broader community through partnerships with local schools, dual-credit programming, and her work representing CNC with the BC Open Education Community (BCOEC), helping strengthen pathways to post-secondary education and bringing innovative practices back to the institution. 

“Through her impactful contributions, collaborative leadership, and unwavering commitment to student success, Deb exemplifies the qualities the Service Achievement Award is intended to recognize,” wrote her nominator. “Her work has strengthened CNC’s academic quality, improved access for students, and enhanced the College’s ability to serve its internal and external communities.”

The 2026 Innovation Achievement Award is presented to Dr. Pablo Crespell-Montero, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions as Research Fellow for the CNC Research Forest, advancing applied research at the College. Since joining CNC in 2023, Pablo has played a pivotal role in championing a new Remote Sensing Lab, strengthening the College’s capacity in forestry and natural resources innovation.  

Pablo’s work is grounded in strong collaboration and communication both within CNC and in the broader region of Northern BC. His impact is evident through extensive collaboration with industry, government, and Indigenous partners, including forest companies, consultants, First Nations, and the BC Ministry of Forests. These relationships have helped identify regional applied research priorities and secure significant external funding.  

The acquired investments of external funding have enabled CNC to obtain advanced technologies such as drones, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems, precision GPS units, as well as data processing and modelling software. These also support student research assistantships and expanded hands-on training opportunities, increasing CNC’s capacity to deliver applied technology research to the forestry and natural resources sectors. 

“Pablo is distinguished by a strong service commitment to the innovation needs of the region and notable personal sacrifice to develop a new CNC applied research and innovation centre for Northern BC,” his nominator shares. “This has created long-lasting possibilities for CNC partnerships in applied research, CNC-led innovation, and continuous practical learning opportunities for CNC students.”

Dr. Stephanie Takeda, Interim Associate Dean – Applied Health and Education, is the recipient of the 2026 Leadership Achievement Award for her thoughtful, collaborative, and steady leadership across allied health education at CNC. Known for her calm and supportive approach, Stephanie consistently leads with clarity, care, and purpose, fostering environments where teams feel valued, respected, and empowered to grow. 

Stephanie is widely respected for her ability to navigate complex situations with professionalism and balance. She takes the time to listen, consider multiple perspectives, and make informed decisions that support both people and programs. Her leadership style has strengthened relationships across departments and contributed to a culture grounded in respect, integrity, and shared success. 

For Stephanie, leadership in the School of Health Sciences and Human Services extends beyond her immediate team. Through her leadership of the Early Childhood Care and Learning (ECCL) Work-Integrated Learning pilot project, she has helped create more flexible pathways for students to meet their educational goals and program requirements within their existing employment. She has also played an important role in accreditation processes across allied health programs, helping build internal capacity and promote a culture of continuous quality improvement. 

As her nominator writes, “Dr. Stephanie Takeda is a respected and effective leader whose calm, thoughtful approach has made a meaningful impact across allied health education. She consistently leads with clarity, care, and purpose, fostering environments where collaboration, trust, and continuous quality improvement can thrive.” They add, “Across all her work, Steph leads with integrity, professionalism, and respect. Her ability to navigate complexity with calm assurance, while supporting both people and programs, has had a lasting and positive influence.”

The 2026 Group Achievement Award has been awarded to the Network Renewal Project Team, consisting of Adeleke Araba, Alex Chin, Amandeep Kaur, Brian Burke, Dayle Hamilton, Gurseerat Brar, Hannah San Juan, Irele Uduokhai, Jagman Nannar, John Michael Diaz, Josh Bracey, Kanwal Dhanju, Kimberly Gonzales, Liv Schubert, Steven Dickson, and Winston Stuetz. This cross-departmental team is being recognized for their exceptional planning, coordination, and execution of a large-scale network renewal project critical to the reliability, security, and future readiness of CNC’s technology infrastructure. Their work required strong technical expertise, collaboration, and sustained commitment. 

The Network Renewal Project Team’s work has already had a significant and lasting impact on the College. The successful renewal of core network infrastructure has improved system reliability, performance, and resilience across the various CNC campuses. These improvements ensure uninterrupted access to online learning platforms, academic systems, and essential services, directly supporting students, faculty, staff, and visitors. 

This project required extensive collaboration beyond the core team of 16 members. The team worked closely with internal departments, external vendors, Facilities Services, IT Services, and campus stakeholders while maintaining clear and proactive communication throughout all phases of the project. Their efforts ensured the College community remained informed and that the work was carefully scheduled to minimize disruption to teaching, learning, and operations. 

As the team’s nominator writes, “The Network Renewal Project Team’s contributions represent an outstanding achievement and a true example of excellence in service. Through their measurable impact, strong teamwork, and unwavering commitment, they successfully delivered a complex and essential project that will benefit the College of New Caledonia for years to come.” 

Additionally, they did all of this work both on time and on budget, which earned CNC a very complimentary call from the project funder, the Ministry of Infrastrastructure.

The recipient of the 2026 Equity and Inclusion Teaching Award is Shelby Montgomery, Nursing Baccalaureate (NCBNP) Instructor, for her exceptional commitment to embedding equity and inclusion into her teaching practice. Grounded in creating a classroom environment where students feel seen, respected, and valued, with a commitment to accessible and flexible assessment design, Shelby fosters a learning environment rooted in psychological safety, respectful dialogue, and active listening. 

Through the development of INDS 260: Health and Wellness for Healthcare Professionals, a course developed with equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging at the forefront, Shelby has created a course that intentionally centers lived experience, relational learning, and trauma-informed approaches to support meaningful student engagement. This course, which has been offered as an elective within the NCBNP program, has been consistently well subscribed and is often waitlisted due to strong student demand and positive reputation. 

Shelby positions students as knowledge holders and active participants in the classroom, encouraging engagement that is both personal and professional. This approach supports students who may experience anxiety, imposter syndrome, or prior educational challenges by creating space for multiple ways of knowing and learning. Feedback from students consistently highlights increased confidence, engagement, and a stronger sense of connection to their learning and peers. 

Her nominator enthuses, “Shelby has developed every aspect of this course to support students to enter the healthcare workforce with the skills, attitudes and resources needed to navigate a complex, traumatic and high stress environment. Shelby works actively to reduce barriers for the students in her course by her methods of assessment as well as reducing barriers for these students as they train to be future nurses.”

For her outstanding leadership in the design and implementation of a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) pilot within the Early Childhood Care and Learning (ECCL) program, Jessica Fee is the recipient of the 2026 Work-Integrated Learning Teaching Award. As a faculty in both Education Assistant (EDUA) and ECCL, Jessica is widely recognized for her intentional and student-centered approach to WIL, ensuring that learning remains closely connected to real-world early childhood education environments. 

In partnership with the Centre for Teaching and Learning and the ECCL program, Jessica developed a cohort-based model that integrates academic learning directly into students’ employment settings in early learning centers across Prince George. This innovative approach has strengthened access to post-secondary education while maintaining meaningful connections between learning and workplace practice. 

A key strength of Jessica’s WIL model is the way workplace learning is fully embedded into course design and assessment. Students are able to apply theoretical concepts directly in their roles, supported by reflective activities, readings, and guided discussion. This integration ensures that learning is not separate from practice, but rather occurs within it, reinforcing skill development in real time. The model also supports student access and retention by allowing learners to remain employed while completing their studies, reducing common barriers such as financial strain and time away from work. 

Jessica’s nominator provided a student testimonial, “The traditional school system has never fully supported my learning style, even though I truly love to learn. The WIL program has given me the opportunity to participate in post-secondary in a way that actually works for my life and responsibilities. This program has not only allowed me to continue working while studying, but it has also helped me grow in confidence and deepen my understanding of early childhood education in a very real, practical way. I feel like I’ve truly been able to excel and, for the first time, feel genuinely understood and supported as a learner.” 

Harish Gautam, Business Management Instructor, has been awarded the 2026 Access to Education Teaching Award for his exceptional commitment to removing barriers and expanding meaningful access to learning through innovative, student-centered course design. His teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that education should be accessible to all students, regardless of financial circumstance, location, work commitments, or prior educational experience. This is reflected in a learning environment that prioritizes flexibility, affordability, and student agency. 

Harish has systematically removed financial barriers by developing a fully open learning platform that includes free written materials, video lectures, and audio resources, eliminating the need for costly textbooks and subscriptions. Students also receive access to professional-grade tools and a website hosting environment at no cost, ensuring that financial constraints do not limit participation or learning outcomes. 

Beyond cost, Harish addresses barriers related to time, distance, and personal circumstances through a highly flexible course design. Materials are available 24/7, allowing students to learn according to their own schedules, including work shifts, caregiving responsibilities, or geographic limitations. Assessment structures such as self-scheduled presentations further support accessibility by allowing students to choose when and how they demonstrate their learning. He also reduces psychological and confidence-related barriers by fostering a supportive, student-centered classroom culture grounded in choice, respect, and agency, helping students engage more confidently and with reduced anxiety. 

As Harish explains, “Free and open textbooks exist. I used every one I could find, including resources from BC Campus. But open textbooks rarely cover everything a course needs. The gaps were real, and the learning objectives were not being met. So I filled those gaps myself, building comprehensive course notes refined over nearly three decades of teaching, written specifically for my students and my courses.”

As the recipient of the 2026 Technology in Teaching Award, Business Management Instructor, Harish Gautam, is recognized for innovative teaching practices that reimagine feedback, access, and student engagement in large, multi-course classrooms. Faced with limited capacity for individualized feedback at scale, he developed open-source, instructor-led tools that strengthen learning while keeping human judgment central and improving the timing and usefulness of feedback for students. 

Harish created an automated feedback workflow that supports pre-submission review during office hours. Students bring draft work, which is processed in approximately 3–5 minutes against course rubrics and returned with specific, actionable feedback. Harish then reviews all outputs before students receive them to ensure accuracy and pedagogical quality. This approach shifted office hours away from grade-focused discussions toward deeper conversations about revision and learning, with students voluntarily engaging in multiple rounds of improvement. 

He also developed an AI-supported tool embedded in his course websites, providing students with 24/7 access to course-based answers and reducing barriers for those studying outside traditional hours or balancing complex schedules. Together, these tools reduce time spent on routine queries and basic feedback, allowing more classroom time for higher-order discussions focused on analysis, strategy, and application. In courses such as MKT 282 and MKT 286, students demonstrated stronger conceptual understanding, improved integration of theory and practice, and increased engagement with revision. 

Office hours evolved into more meaningful academic dialogue, with students focusing less on grades and more on improvement and skill development. As Harish describes, “The result changed everything. Office conversations shifted completely. Instead of ‘What do I need for an A?’ students started asking ‘How do I make this argument stronger?’ That shift is everything a teacher lives for.”

Maeghan Williams is the 2026 Early Career Teaching Award recipient for her outstanding teaching practice, professionalism, and commitment to student success at the beginning of her career as a Health Care Assistant Certificate (HCAP) Instructor. She consistently creates a supportive, inclusive learning environment while maintaining strong academic and professional standards. Her teaching effectively connects theory to practice, helping students develop confidence and competence for clinical settings. 

Maeghan has had a meaningful impact on student learning through a compassionate, student-centered approach that balances support with high expectations. Students consistently report feeling respected, supported, and encouraged to engage in learning. She handles complex student situations with professionalism and care, ensuring decisions are fair, ethical, and aligned with institutional policy. Her advocacy for students is grounded in collaboration, respect, and a strong focus on student success. 

A key strength of Maeghan’s teaching is her use of structured, scenario-based and case-based learning to build clinical reasoning and applied knowledge. She creates targeted supports that meet diverse learner needs and provide multiple pathways to success. Her Hyflex delivery is especially effective, using intentional strategies to engage in-person, online, and regional students through varied instruction, regular check-ins, and interactive teaching across all modalities. She also emphasizes inclusion and psychological safety by fostering a classroom environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, making mistakes, and engaging fully. Her approachable style strengthens student confidence and participation, and she regularly uses student and peer feedback to refine her practice and support continuous improvement. 

Maeghan reflects, “Overall, I have learned that effective teaching requires flexibility, reflection, and a commitment to meeting students where they are. My practice continues to evolve, with a focus on creating inclusive, engaging learning environments that support student confidence, clinical reasoning, and readiness for practice.”